Rockabye

Chapter Ten

She knows if she's ever going to free Regina, she's going to have to calm herself down. She shakes her hands and clenches them into fists to release some of her tension. She begins again, slipping the rope through a hole, weaving the bounds in and out. Subconsciously Emma begins to hum the softest tune to calm her over anxious nerves.

"Emma," Regina rasps out as her eyes slowly flutter open.

"Yes, yes. I'm here Regina," Emma announces as her fingers work faster at the restraints.

Regina's eyes widen to their max as she rapidly shakes her head. "No, no Emma, you have to go," the prisoner croaks out with terror trembling each word. "Forget about me. Get the hell out of here. I don't know who they are but this was all a set up, to get you here. They don't want me, they want you," Regina explains as thick tears roll down her cheeks. She's so far passed ashamed at this point and allows her tears to run freely. One after another, tumbling to their death at the cold pavement below.

"Calm down Regina," Emma cups the woman's chin and lightly presses her lips to the flesh that haunts her dreams. "Breathe. I'm not going anywhere without you. Whatever they want, they can have," Emma pauses as she replays her admission in her mind. She flashes Regina a cheeky smile and continues. "Except for you, they can't have you."

"This isn't funny Emma," Regina growls through her parched throat. "You need to get the hell out of here."

"One done," Emma acknowledges as she frees Regina's right arm, completely ignoring the woman's desperate plea.

"Please Emma," Regina whines as her tears continue their beaten path. Her hand is like a magnet the moment it's free, cupping Emma's jawline and sweeping her thumb against the warm flesh.

"August and Neal sure are taking their sweet ass time," Emma grumbles as she works the new route of ropes upon Regina's left wrist.

"Maybe they were in on it, this is all a set up," Regina repeats but the blonde refuses to listen to reason. Emma's sole purpose right now is to free Regina.

"Maybe," the blonde replies noncommittally and shrugs her shoulder. "Does that mean you're in on it too?" Emma raises one eyebrow suspiciously, but Regina sees right through the blonde. She knows this woman better than anyone and it's obvious she's attempting humor right now.

"Never," Regina vows provoking thin pale lips to curl into a sexy smirk.

"I know." Emma redirects her attention and follows the last path to freeing Regina's other arm. "Okay, now your legs," she explains to the brunette.

A door slams off in the distance, ceasing all of Emma's actions, even Regina's tears still as the women listen carefully. Heavy footsteps shuffle down the concrete stairs, echoing into the basement they are trapped within.

"Emma, listen to me, you have to go," Regina sternly demands as she uses both her hands to hold Emma's face into place. Regina's staring deep into her lover's eyes, begging her silently to leave, but Emma's not having any of it.

"I'm not leaving you," Emma whispers and presses her lips to Regina's once more, sealing her promise with a loving kiss.

"Please hide," Regina breathes against the softest lips as the footsteps grow louder.

Each step connecting with the floor, feels as though it's linked to Emma's heart, pounding in sync with those heavy boots. A bright light switches on, instantly turning off the beating to Emma's heart.

"Emma," a woman's voice exhales, but the blonde doesn't make a move to turn around. Not yet.

She rests her arms across Regina's lap possessively and frowns slightly, creating that adorable dimple the brunette loves so much. Regina returns the weak frown and sighs heavily, placing her hands on top of Emma's.

Emma takes a deep breath before she spins around on her tip toes and peers up at Regina's captor. Emma's head slowly falls to the side as she glares at the woman before her, not at all who she expected.

A loud ruckus tears Emma's eyes from the woman standing before her. More feet collide brutally against the concrete stairs as more people join the hostage. Neal is the first to make his appearance, with his hands tied tightly with the same type of ropes that enslaved Regina. Emma's heart pounds so hard, she is sure her life is in danger from a heart attack and not these strangers.

"Alright, Alright. Fuck," Neal exasperates as he stumbles down the stairwell and into the middle of the basement.

Next to follow is August. Not at all in harms way, looking calm as ever through sorrowful eyes. His baby blue eyes meet Emma's across the room. For a brief moment Emma sees remorse, but she understands that her friend is a professional liar and she has run out of forgiveness for him.

Two more men follow August down the stairs, along with another woman. All eyes are on Emma, something she despises. She would rather jump out of a plane without a parachute than have all eyes on her. Ever since she was little she enjoyed being invisible, always hanging out in the shadows, undetected. That's exactly why theft, always came so natural to her.

Regina tightens her hold on Emma, immediately coaxing all those prying eyes to drift toward their intertwined hands. Emma can distinctly hear her heart and Regina's beating fiercely in their chests. The blonde swallows thickly and finds the courage to meet the cold, stern gaze of the first woman.

"H-how did you know my name?" Emma inquires, bewildered by their current situation.

She is studying every inch of this woman, but her mind is drawing blank. She has no idea who the hell these people are or why they want her so bad. She can only assume she stole a prize possession of theirs and they are desperate to get it back.

The woman's face softens, her muscles visibly relaxing as she studies everything that makes up Emma.

"I'm your mother Emma," the stranger claims.

Emma's breath catches in her throat just as her heart decides to stop working. She holds her breath and takes in this woman's appearance. The first coincidental thing Emma acknowledges are her eyes. The blonde cannot help but think how similar they are...and their chin...it's uncanny.

"T-that's...no...that's impossible. Why would you stage all of this..." Emma motions around the damp basement, eyeing every single person staring right back at her. "...kidnap Regina, if you are my mother. You could have just come talk to me."

"I couldn't. I needed you to come here," the woman calmly explains earning an eyebrow raise from her alleged daughter. "Emma, I'm your mother and this is your father." The woman points to a man across the way, standing next to Neal, but Emma doesn't have time to show the man any attention. "I am Snow White."

A/N: Ssssshhhhhh! Please don't say the name above in the comments. I want everyone who reads this to be surprised and I don't want the surprise ruined from reading the comments before reading the chapter, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear everyone's opinion. So tell me what you think about the name drop! Thank you!!